Sometimes we just need a little push to make the small
changes for the better. Earth Day is one of those pushes. Every year, we look
for new ways to make our environment a bit cleaner and live a little lighter.
Spend a morning
swapping out light bulbs for LED lights. They burn brighter, longer for a
fraction of the energy of old bulbs. The prices have come down and the bulbs
will last for years.
Open your windows
at night and turn off the air conditioning. This will save you some money
and keep you cool.
Recycle your
electronics and batteries to the right locations. If you gather up your old
electronics (VCRs, cell phones, etc.) and share them with the Boy Scouts who do
e-recycling or deliver them to your city’s e-recycling locations, you can keep
toxic chemicals out of the dumpster and landfills. Go to your city’s webpage
for locations.
Shred your old
documents with a local charity. Many nonprofits offer free shredding
services this month. Take your old financial documents and shred them so you
are protected from identity theft.
Clean out your
closets and share the wealth with local charities. Your usable donations
can be a boon to a charity that will resell or recycle them, and you’ll get a
tax deduction along with it. Upcycling goods keeps usable goods out of
landfills and benefits families in need. Take your old mattresses to Goodwill,
as they are one of the few places who will shred them and recycle all the
parts.
Bring a recycling
bin into your apartment home. If you are in a community where recycling
isn’t available, you can keep a bin in your home and gather newspaper, cans and
more and bring it to a recycling center or drop off.
Small changes can yield big results when we are all doing
our part.